Dove nixes Armpit of America’ billboard in N.J.

NEW YORK — Dove is learning the hard way that New Jersey residents don’t appreciate being referred to as “The Armpit of America.”Unilever, the brand’s parent company, says it no longer plans to run a billboard featuring the well-known dig at the Garden State. The ad was intended to promote a new line of deodorants by encouraging people to see armpits in a more positive light.The text of the ad read, “Dear New Jersey, When people call you ‘The Armpit of America,’ take it as a compliment. Sincerely, Dove.” It featured a smiling woman in a white tank top raising an arm behind her head to expose an armpit.Dove is known for its unconventional ads, including a campaign that celebrates “Real Beauty” by featuring women who don’t look like the typical models featured in most other ads. But the latest campaign apparently hit the wrong nerve with New Jersey residents.The news of the billboard, which was set to run in July, sparked complaints after the New York Times published a story about it last week.“We take feedback from our community very seriously and have decided that we will not be running this billboard advertisement,” Unilever said in an emailed statement Tuesday. “We did not wish to cause any misunderstanding and apologize for any offense.”The statement said the intention was to call attention “to the fact that armpits can and should be considered beautiful.” It said women should accept that as “something that is okay.”The company said it will instead donate the space on the billboard to a charity. A representative for Unilever said the company would work with its foundation to identify a charity.Unilever’s U.S. headquarters are based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J.

CALENDAR

Share your comments: Log in using your HeraldNet account or your Facebook, Twitter or Disqus profile. Comments that violate the rules are subject to removal. Please see our terms of use. Please note that you must verify your email address for your comments to appear.